MITOCHONDRIA, PLASTIDS AN

[Jack Jenuth]

HCORBETT>It was my understanding that in animals, plastid (mitochondrial) DNA is
HCORBETT>not contributed from the sperm at all to the new zygote. The
HCORBETT>mitochondria are all clustered back in the tail, and only the head
HCORBETT>fuses and ejects its nuclear material into the egg. Thus (at least in
HCORBETT>humans, hence the dating of "Eve" that caused a fuss a couple of years
HCORBETT>ago) all mitochondria are transmitted through the female by simple
HCORBETT>mitotic divisions. 

This may not be 100% coorect.  One study suggests that their may be small
paternal contribution.  They used inbred mouse strains and followed them for 20
generations to determine this.

Jack

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